Roadtrip to Frank Lloyd Wright’s Dana House
I’ve always been a fan of design, especially when it’s functional. Last weekend, I took a day trip to my hometown of Springfield, Illinois, and got a chance (well, another chance) to tour what I believe to be one of the most amazing examples of functional and thoughtful design, Frank Lloyd Wright’s Dana House.
It takes 90 minutes to tour Wright’s 72nd residential and first “blank cheque” project. And, what did Susan Lawrence Dana get for that blank check? She got genius. Genius all over the place. Everywhere. The 12,000-square-foot, 35-room home holds the largest collection of site-specific, original Wright art glass and furniture. There are 450 art glass windows, skylights, door panels, sconces, and light fixtures, most of which survive. The five butterfly-themed art glass light fixtures are the most complicated fixtures Wright ever designed and are valued at over $5 million dollars each.
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And it doesn’t stop there. There are terra-cotta sculptures, a mural and a fountain, all specified and some even designed by Wright. Moving from room to room is an experience, too: the sumac- and butterfly-themed home has 16 different levels.
Construction began as a remodel of the Dana family’s Victorian mansion in 1902, but turned into an entirely new home that eventually reflected the Prairie style. The house also reflects Wright’s and his client’s mutual love of Japanese prints and drawings. In 1976, it was designated as a historic landmark.
Evidence of the home’s Victorian roots can be seen halfway through the tour. The sitting room is unlike any other in the house. It was left in its original Victorian state from the original mansion as an homage to Dana’s parents.
I don’t know what it is about the The Dana House, or why I keep coming back. I’ve toured it 8 times.
Maybe it’s because I learn something new about it every time from the volunteer tour guides who receive extensive training both on the history of the house and the architectural significance of Frank Lloyd Wright.
Maybe it’s because design so good, and so thoughtful, draws me in. Every time.
All I know is that I’ll be back. Wanna go? If you’re passionate about design at all, this architectural masterpiece of international significance is a short drive up Highway 55 from St. Louis. Click here for more information about the Dana house.
